Usability Testing Firewood Load Tag (September 2020)

The Open Forest team has developed a load tag design that should facilitate LEOs in validating recently harvested firewood loads carried by vehicles. This design needs to be evaluated to determine if it satisfies the needs of the forest's LEOs.​

Research Details

Goals

• To ensure that the Firewood load tag concept matches the mental model for most types of users.​
• To ensure that the Firewood load tag concept works for users already using load tags in their forest.​
• To ensure that the Firewood Permitting functionality works for users not currently using load tags in their forest.​
• To ensure that the users can successfully identify the date of permit validity, and to which forest load tag is valid for.​
• To ensure users can quickly identify an authorization load tag.​
• To ensure users can match the tag to the corresponding permit.​
• To ensure users can identify the quantity of firewood removed.​
• To ensure users can identify the date the firewood was removed.

Test session details

• 30 min max interview
• Forest Service (internal): Teams 
• Public: Teams, Google Meet
• Remote meeting

Participants Criteria​

This is a qualitative study consisting of 3-5 participants who are LEOs for forests participating in the firewood pilot application.​

General Outcome

Findings and Themes

• Most LEOs like the visual design​
• Much express value for color coordination per year​
• Some concerns that this could be used for fraud - multiple time use.

Results and insights

• Overall Positive Experience​
• Most LEOs are don’t mind omitting ID from permit and indicate on a permit that they might be required to show ID.​
• Design didn’t eliminate the concern of duplication.
• Design Implications​
• Eliminate the need to physical flip tag to validate removal dates by placing such info frontal on the design​
• Enhance design with a notching system for month and date input (fish & game load tags)​

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